A Thanksgiving Treatment for Pumpkin Pie

Dear SOS: About 10 years ago, you printed a recipe for Pumpkin-Persimmon Pie. It was delicious and during a move my copy was lost. My entire family is coming for Thanksgiving and I would love to serve them this pie for dessert. Please help.

--LISA

Dear Lisa: Whee. Just in time. It’s a great pie for the Christmas holiday season, too. PUMPKIN-PERSIMMON PIE

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup canned pumpkin

2/3 cup persimmon pulp (about 3 persimmons)

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Whipped cream, optional

Combine eggs, pumpkin, persimmon pulp, condensed milk, sugar, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Pour filling into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees 45 minutes or until center is firm. Serve with whipped cream topping.

Dear SOS: Within the last two years you printed a recipe for honeyed ham, and it was wonderful. Unfortunately, I mislaid it and watched your Food Section like a hawk to be sure not to miss it when you repeated it. But each time you repeated another recipe. Because the holidays are approaching I thought it might be well to repeat the original, which I finally recovered.

--EVELYN

Dear Evelyn: Thank you. You have one of the many good honeyed ham recipes we’ve printed in the past. I’m sure many readers will appreciate the recipe, so thanks for sharing it. HONEY-GLAZED BAKED HAM

1 (5- to 7-pound) smoked ham shank half

3/4 cup honey

1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange-pineapple juice

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place ham, fat side up, on rack in open pan. Insert meat thermometer so bulb is centered in thickest part. Be careful that bulb does not rest in fat or on bone. Do not add water or cover.

Roast at 325 degrees until meat thermometer registers 130 to 140 degrees for fully cooked half ham (18 to 24 minutes per pound) or 160 degrees for cook-before-eating half ham (22 to 25 minutes per pound).

Combine honey, orange-pineapple juice, horseradish, nutmeg and cinnamon. Reserve 1 cup for sauce. Brush ham with remaining glaze during last 20 minutes of baking time.

To make sauce, mix water and cornstarch in small saucepan. Stir in reserved juice mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Continue to cook 1 to 2 minutes. Serve sauce with ham. Makes 10 to 12 minutes.

Dear SOS: A while back you printed a recipe for garlic bread from the Smoke House in Toluca Lake. I would appreciate having this recipe.

--GAIL

Dear Gail: It’s a great bread to serve with ribs or a roast during the holiday season. SMOKE HOUSE GARLIC BREAD

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, ground

1 (1-pound) loaf French bread, cut in 15 slices

2 cups shredded process American cheese

Melt butter, then add garlic and let mixture stand several hours or overnight to blend flavors. Strain off garlic. Brush bread slices with butter mixture, then sprinkle with cheese. Place under broiler until heated and golden brown.

Dear SOS: I need a recipe for Mint Jelly. I have been a subscriber for 40 years and have a grand collection of recipes.

--FLORENCE

Dear Florence: A good addition to the collection. This recipe for Mint Jelly uses fresh mint, but if mint leaves are unavailable or if you want to use extract, add 1 teaspoon mint extract to vinegar-sugar mixture before adding pectin. MINT JELLY

2 cups water

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup mint leaves, packed

Few drops green food color

6 1/2 cups sugar

1 bottle liquid fruit pectin

Combine water, vinegar, mint leaves, food color and sugar. Bring to boil. Add fruit pectin. Bring to full rolling boil and boil 1 minute. Skim out mint leaves and pour jelly into hot, sterilized glasses. Seal at once. Makes 12 (6-ounce) glasses.

Note: If mint leaves are unavailable or if you want to use extract, add 1 teaspoon mint extract to vinegar-sugar mixture before adding pectin.